Produced by Seth Rogen's band of merry men, this vulgar comedy is basically Superbad but with a trio of pre-pubescent boys instead of high schoolers. It's cheap, crude and not particularly clever, but also, at times, bloody hilarious. There's a simple formula for laughs here: three best friends who have just started Middle School (Year 6) embark on a series of adventures thinking they're ready for all the important adult stuff in life like kissing, sipping beer and swearing like convicted felons. Adopting a quantity-over-quality approach to humour, the gags come thick and fast. Inadvertent operation of sex toys, a frat house brawl, an inappropriate Rock of Ages concert, a too-soon experience with porn - everything is thrown at the screen in pursuit of a laugh. Although I wouldn't go as far to say the script is intelligent or original, there are some wittier, more subtle moments of amusement that rely on genuine comedic timing (misused vocab, social unacceptable behaviour) from the youthful leads, and they largely pull it off. Child actors are often hit or miss, skirting a fine line between endearingly precocious and unbearably irritating; however, the headlining trio here land on the right side of childish. They think they know it all of course but are still most definitely "social piranhas." Make no mistake, the creators of Good Boys employ a simple and crass method to generate comedy. They succeeded.
